Angelo Puppolo of Springfield faces opposition from John McCarthy of Wilbraham for 12th Hampden District state representative

Angelo Pupulo Jr., state representative from the 12th Hampden District, is seen with opponent D. John McCarthy.

Wilbraham Republican D. John McCarthy, the chairman of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee, said he decided to challenge three-term incumbent state Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo Jr. of Springfield, a Democrat, in the Nov. 6 election because Massachusetts “should not be a one-party state.”

“In the 12th Hampden District, there is a chance for a Republican to win,” McCarthy said. He said Republican Scott Brown got 58 percent of the district vote in his last race for senator.

The district includes Wilbraham, about 25 percent of East Longmeadow and parts of Springfield, including parts of Forest Park, East Forest Park, Sixteen Acres and the Outer Belt in the city.

Puppolo is currently the vice chairman of the House Committee on Personnel and Administration. He serves as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee.

“I am pleased to have continued to work successfully for long overdue reforms and transparency in the way government does business, including legislation for Ethics Reform, Probation and Trial Court Reforms, pension reform and transportation reform,” Puppolo said.

Puppolo said he has also been a strong supporter of cracking down on welfare fraud, been tough on illegal immigration and supported appropriating funds to the Community Preservation Trust without raising taxes.

“I’ve also supported key legislation for jobs and economic development, health care cost containment, promoted renewable energy and energy efficiency, changes to the alimony system and freezing the unemployment insurance rates for businesses.”

McCarthy said there are problems with the health care cost containment bill passed in the Legislature which he said authorized lump payments for health care instead of pay for services.

That may encourage doctors not to perform needed services, McCarthy said.

McCarthy said that state monitoring cost panels may encourage some doctors to leave the state.

Puppolo, 43, a lawyer in his third term on Beacon Hill, previously was a member of the Springfield City Council for almost 10 years.

McCarthy, 64, is married with a teenage son. He retired from Fuji Photo Film USA after 28 years. He is semi-retired and currently runs a part-time business as a pet photographer.

About the candidates

Angelo J. Puppolo Jr. Position sought: 12th Hampden District state representative Age: 43 Address: Springfield Occupation: state representative Education: Juris doctor, Western New England School of Law; B.A., American International College; associate’s degree, Springfield Technical Community College Experience: Springfield City Council; three terms, state representative 

D. John McCarthy Position sought: 12th Hampden District state representative Age: 64 Address: Wilbraham Occupation: Semi-retired; owner of part-time pet photography business Education: Master’s degrees in education and business administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; bachelor’s degree, Rochester Institute of Technology Experience: 10 years, Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee; chairman, Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee 